Whether they are brand new to formal scent detection, or highly experienced working dogs, all dogs are masters of odor. From scavenging food, to hunting rabbits, to noticing when a neighboring dog has just come into season, processing the complex world of scent with exquisite artistry is what dogs have evolved on this Earth to do.
In this class we will be expanding on explorations begun in Master’s of Odor Pt. 1. In addition to single hide searches, we will invite our dogs to teach us what happens to the odor picture in more advanced puzzles as well, such as convergence, thermals, pooling, hides at different heights, and inaccessibles.
Premium students will receive detailed narrative feedback on most search videos. Check out this example from recent Pt. 2 graduate, Ginger Alpine and her dog, Argent.
Pre-requisites: I am most familiar with NACSW essential oils as target odor, but if your dog is trained to a different scent, we can usually make it work. All levels welcome, but you will get the most out of this course if your dog has a strong reinforcement history already in place for hunting something specific. Food can work as well as scent, but on searches where the hide is inaccessible by containment, such as in a box or cabinet, your dog will need a non-destructive way to tell you where the food is, instead of just going for it.
Note: You do not need to be a graduate of Pt. 1 to enjoy Pt. 2, but if you or your dog is brand new to scent detection, Pt. 1 is recommended.
Required:
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Basic odor kit (including a minimum of 3 scent vessels, such as tins, tubes or straws)
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Smelly, high value food to search for (e.g. dried fish, beef lung, fresh chicken, or tuna)
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High value food or toy reinforcement
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Access to a variety of search areas–both interior and exterior
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Video camera or phone
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Misc. items of furniture–tables, chairs, etc
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Exercise pen, large cardboard boxes, three colanders, junction boxes, or bowls.
Course Outline / Possible Explorations:
(Each team will be encouraged to adjust search parameters based on the dog’s experience level and / or the human’s curiosity.)
WK 1: Review of Pt. 1 Principles
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Index of terms–expanded to include more advanced topics
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Handling odor and setting hides
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Basics of odor movement
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Preserving your dog’s confidence and enthusiasm
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Self-Assessment: what is your dog’s current skill-level with multi-hide searches, elevation, inaccessibles, etc?
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Bonus lessons:
WK2: Scent Plumes and Accessible Converging Hides
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Single hides vs. multiple–how does putting out additional hides change the overall picture?
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Recognizing convergence before the dog solves it
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Tips to make multi-hide searches more errorless
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Multi-hide searches with separate scent plumes
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Multi-hide searches with overlapping scent plumes
WK3: Scent Plumes and Inaccessible Hides
WK4: Sourcing Puzzles + Thermal Convergence
WK 5: Layering Complexity
- Revisiting Pt. 1 Search Areas With More Hides Added
- Expect the Unexpected Searches
WK6: Elevation Pre-requisites
- Parkour and Poses
- Elevation Break Down
- Elevation Progression
CART
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